The Literacy Connection
Newsletter
November 2008 Written by Karen Muckenfuss
Issue #1
The idea for this newsletter came to me at the beginning of September; however, the time to prepare the newsletter didn’t come until the end of October. As you already know, this school year has been a busy one! The purpose for this newsletter is to communicate with you regarding issues and topics that relate to reading and writing instruction in the elementary classroom. Please feel free to provide me with any feedback regarding the information that follows. My email address is muckenfussk@centralnoble.k12.in.us or you may call me at 636-7538 extension 5211. Here goes…
Albion Elementary School’s Title I Open House
In order to comply with the federal government’s Title I guidelines, I will meet with the parents of our Title I students on Monday, November 3, 2008 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm. Blue notices were given to the families during parent teacher conferences. During this meeting, I will be discussing ways that parents can support their child/children at home while learning to read and helping to create lifelong readers.
The Daily 5 Book Study
Everyone is invited to join me at the Serendipity Café on Thursday, November 6 from 3:30 – 4:30pm to discuss the ideas found in The Daily 5. The ideas in this book are perfect for Kindergarten through Grade 2 classrooms. The information in this book gives teachers a set of routines that he/she can teach their students to become independent readers. This allows teachers to meet with guided reading groups or conference with individual students in a positive environment.
Albion and Wolf Lake Kindergarten Teachers
Sandie Petrie of the Noble County Public Library has an idea for a grant that could help our area preschoolers be better prepared for Kindergarten. She has requested your presence for an informational meeting to be held on November 13 from 2:15 – 3:15 at Albion Elementary School. Please mark your calendars!
Why Leveled Books?
As all of us know, not all children in the same grade read on the same level or even read at their own grade level. Studies show that the best way to teach kids to read is to pair them up with books that are at their independent level for free reading and their instructional level for guided reading or small group instruction. Students can build fluency and comprehension skills when they read books that are on their target level, allowing them to concentrate on comprehension instead of struggling to decode unknown words. Leveled books allow students to read and comprehend various types of texts, exposing them to information and vocabulary they can understand, and allowing students to gain background knowledge that will help them move onto higher texts. It also promotes success in all students, particularly those on the lower spectrum.
Leveling Your Classroom Library
There are several resources available to you that will help when leveling your own books in your classroom. The following websites provide the reading level for many books:
Grant Opportunity
Check out www.donorsChoose.org. This website offers non-profit groups the opportunity to connect public school teachers with people who want to support classroom learning. The teacher submits a project proposal on-line. Then donors choose to help. When your project is fully funded, you will receive a check in the mail to purchase what you need to make your project a reality. It’s that easy! Follow the link above to give it a try.
Writer’s Workshop
Interested in getting started with Writer’s Workshop? Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you. Two great resources to help you get going are The Nuts and Bolts of Teaching Writing (grades K-2) and Launching the Writing Workshop (grades 3-5) both by Lucy Caulkins. Both books are part of the curriculum sets that were given to classroom teachers at Albion Elementary School last school year. The Six Traits of Writing fits very nicely with the routines of writer’s workshop too.
Literacy Stations
Literacy stations or centers can be helpful to managing your literacy block and meeting with guided reading groups. If you would be interested in learning more about this idea, email me and I will form a study group of those interested to get us on our way.
Issue #2
Watch for the second edition of The Literacy Connection in January 2009.
NOTE: Please submit any ideas, suggestions, or literacy related concerns to me, and I will incorporate them in future newsletters.
Newsletter:
The Literacy Connection
Newsletter
The Literacy Connection
Newsletter
November 2008 Written by Karen Muckenfuss
Issue #1
The idea for this newsletter came to me at the beginning of September; however, the time to prepare the newsletter didn’t come until the end of October. As you already know, this school year has been a busy one! The purpose for this newsletter is to communicate with you regarding issues and topics that relate to reading and writing instruction in the elementary classroom. Please feel free to provide me with any feedback regarding the information that follows. My email address is muckenfussk@centralnoble.k12.in.us or you may call me at 636-7538 extension 5211. Here goes…
Albion Elementary School’s Title I Open House
In order to comply with the federal government’s Title I guidelines, I will meet with the parents of our Title I students on Monday, November 3, 2008 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm. Blue notices were given to the families during parent teacher conferences. During this meeting, I will be discussing ways that parents can support their child/children at home while learning to read and helping to create lifelong readers.
The Daily 5 Book Study
Everyone is invited to join me at the Serendipity Café on Thursday, November 6 from 3:30 – 4:30pm to discuss the ideas found in The Daily 5. The ideas in this book are perfect for Kindergarten through Grade 2 classrooms. The information in this book gives teachers a set of routines that he/she can teach their students to become independent readers. This allows teachers to meet with guided reading groups or conference with individual students in a positive environment.
Albion and Wolf Lake Kindergarten Teachers
Sandie Petrie of the Noble County Public Library has an idea for a grant that could help our area preschoolers be better prepared for Kindergarten. She has requested your presence for an informational meeting to be held on November 13 from 2:15 – 3:15 at Albion Elementary School. Please mark your calendars!
Why Leveled Books?
As all of us know, not all children in the same grade read on the same level or even read at their own grade level. Studies show that the best way to teach kids to read is to pair them up with books that are at their independent level for free reading and their instructional level for guided reading or small group instruction. Students can build fluency and comprehension skills when they read books that are on their target level, allowing them to concentrate on comprehension instead of struggling to decode unknown words. Leveled books allow students to read and comprehend various types of texts, exposing them to information and vocabulary they can understand, and allowing students to gain background knowledge that will help them move onto higher texts. It also promotes success in all students, particularly those on the lower spectrum.
Leveling Your Classroom Library
There are several resources available to you that will help when leveling your own books in your classroom. The following websites provide the reading level for many books:
http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do
Search for a particular book title. Click on the title of the book to get the GRL
(Guided Reading Level A-Z)
http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/
http://registration.beaverton.k12.or.us/lbdb
http://books.atozteacherstuff.com/leveled-books/
Grant Opportunity
Check out www.donorsChoose.org. This website offers non-profit groups the opportunity to connect public school teachers with people who want to support classroom learning. The teacher submits a project proposal on-line. Then donors choose to help. When your project is fully funded, you will receive a check in the mail to purchase what you need to make your project a reality. It’s that easy! Follow the link above to give it a try.
Writer’s Workshop
Interested in getting started with Writer’s Workshop? Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you. Two great resources to help you get going are The Nuts and Bolts of Teaching Writing (grades K-2) and Launching the Writing Workshop (grades 3-5) both by Lucy Caulkins. Both books are part of the curriculum sets that were given to classroom teachers at Albion Elementary School last school year. The Six Traits of Writing fits very nicely with the routines of writer’s workshop too.
Literacy Stations
Literacy stations or centers can be helpful to managing your literacy block and meeting with guided reading groups. If you would be interested in learning more about this idea, email me and I will form a study group of those interested to get us on our way.
Issue #2
Watch for the second edition of The Literacy Connection in January 2009.
NOTE: Please submit any ideas, suggestions, or literacy related concerns to me, and I will incorporate them in future newsletters.
Additional Helpful Websites: